03-23-2023, 12:00 AM
Machines Way Underreporting Events - Wow!
I took a careful look at the last five nights of sleep in OSCAR. I was getting AHIs averaging between 0-3 on my BPAP S machine at 16/8 pressure. The more I looked, the more I realized what BS these recorded stats are There are so so many more hypopneas and apneas based on flow rate data that ever recorded. Sometimes the wrist O2 monitor catches them too, but other times a 10-15 second duration may not be enough to drastically drop O2 levels on the CheckmeMax O2 monitor.
I know there are many pieces to the puzzle that just can't be utilized like they do in labs such as EEG, belts, etc. However, in no way can I trust the reported numbers based on that quick glance. The events seem pretty patterned too in some cases. I need to better distinguish flow rates in REM vs non-REM and all that, but still the issues seem obvious. Bottom line is don't trust a machine it appears.
It makes me think 16/8 is definitely not where I need to be. Seems too low. This must be why most recent polysomnogram testing had me at pressures like 18/9, 21/11 and once 24/14. None were able to fix the episodic low O2 events though in totality. The fight is always comfort vs effectiveness. With an AHI of a range the machine is reporting, it's easy to think I'm OK. The real number it truly is may be a different story and warrant real change. Again, this is something doctors and DME places pay no attention to post-testing in my experience. No monitoring non-reported events on machines, no O2 monitoring post pressure changes, no leak level optimization and on and on.
I know there are many pieces to the puzzle that just can't be utilized like they do in labs such as EEG, belts, etc. However, in no way can I trust the reported numbers based on that quick glance. The events seem pretty patterned too in some cases. I need to better distinguish flow rates in REM vs non-REM and all that, but still the issues seem obvious. Bottom line is don't trust a machine it appears.
It makes me think 16/8 is definitely not where I need to be. Seems too low. This must be why most recent polysomnogram testing had me at pressures like 18/9, 21/11 and once 24/14. None were able to fix the episodic low O2 events though in totality. The fight is always comfort vs effectiveness. With an AHI of a range the machine is reporting, it's easy to think I'm OK. The real number it truly is may be a different story and warrant real change. Again, this is something doctors and DME places pay no attention to post-testing in my experience. No monitoring non-reported events on machines, no O2 monitoring post pressure changes, no leak level optimization and on and on.
